This invention relates to a method and apparatus for cutting a web of foam material into sheets of predetermined length and then dispensing such sheets in a manner permitting them to be used immediately in a packaging arrangement in which they are desired.
Foam material is widely used in packaging because of its large volume, light weight and the ability to absorb shocks experienced when packages are in transit. For many packaging applications it is desirable to employ the foam material in sheet form for lining containers or for separating layers of items in the containers and for resilient padding in the top of containers.
The foam sheet material because of its bulk, light weight and lack of structural strength is difficult to form into cut sheets and difficult to handle the cut sheets, particularly in an automatic environment. Because of the difficulties in cutting and handling sheet foam material, various packaging and shipping environments have in the past involved considerable amounts of hand labor. The foam material often has been delivered to the packager or shipper as pre-sut sheet stock delivered in packages. Premium payments must be made for the convenience of pre-cut and packaged sheet foam stock. Then, hand labor must be employed to take such pre-cut sheet from its package and to place the sheet into the container. In many applications where sheets of foam are applied to the top layer of a container, an operator must remove the pre-cut sheets from a box holding a plurality of such sheets which have been cut to a predetermined size and then to place the pre-cut foam sheets into the tops of the containers as padding for completely filling the containers before the containers are closed ready for shipment.